SGER: Histopathological Examination of the Brain of the Amnesic Patient H.M.

这个项目的目标是保存心理学史上最著名的病人之一h.m.的大脑，并对其进行成像。h.m.现年80岁，他在1953年接受了一次实验性手术，以缓解医学上难治性癫痫；从那时起，他就患上了严重的健忘症。手术报告显示，切除包括杏仁核、大部分海马体和两侧大脑半球周围的海马体旁皮层。他参与的实验结果彻底改变了学习和记忆的研究。尽管我们有很多他大脑的磁共振图像，但这些图像的分辨率有限，因此保护大脑本身对我们来说很重要。h.m.即将弥留之际，这个项目将在他死亡后对他的大脑进行时间敏感的保存。（组织几乎立即开始恶化，所以手术必须尽快进行。）一旦这个项目完成，已经涉及h.m.的几十项研究将以新的眼光看待。到那时，大脑的记忆基础就会清晰得多。将这位著名病人的大脑保存下来，以便在当前的核磁共振扫描中看不到细节，这将对记忆和大脑研究领域具有重大价值。许多科学家将对这种组织保存所产生的扫描感兴趣。这个病人在全世界都很有名，拥有这个数据库对美国来说将是一笔财富他在科学领域的地位。

The goal of this project is to preserve and image the brain of one of the most famous patients in the history of psychology, H. M. Now 80 years old, he underwent an experimental operation in 1953 for the relief of medically intractable epilepsy; since that time, he has been profoundly amnesic. Reports from the surgery indicate that the resection included the amygdala, most of the hippocampus, and surrounding parahippocampal cortex in both hemispheres. The results of experiments in which he participated revolutionized the study of learning and memory. Although we have many magnetic resonance images of his brain, the limits on the resolution of those images make it important for us to preserve the brain itself. H. M. is on his deathbed, and this project will allow the time-sensitive preservation of his brain once death occurs. (The tissue starts to deteriorate almost immediately, so the work has to happen quickly.) The dozens of studies that have already involved H. M. will be seen in a new light once this project is complete. The brain basis of memory will be much clearer then.Having the brain of this famous patient preserved so that details not visible in current MRI scans will be available will be of great value to the fields of memory and brain research. A wide range of scientists will be interested in the scans that will arise from this tissue preservation. This patient is famous world-wide, and having this database will be an asset to the U.S.'s position within the scientific field.